Visit eases surface tension

Speed humps similar to those used in an area of Mansfield could soon be installed in Southwell town centre.

Councillors attended a site meeting in Mansfield on Monday to inspect road paving on the A60 Nottingham Road in the Berry Hill area of the town.

Nottinghamshire County Council has recommended the design as a replacement for speed humps on King Street, Queen Street and the top of The Ropewalk, Southwell, which have deteriorated.

The paved setts were installed three years ago as part of a £800,000 town centre improvement scheme but have been unable to withstand the heavy traffic using the streets.

Repair work due to take place in October was postponed because the town council was unhappy with the tar surface that was to be used.

The council chairman, Mrs Beryl Prentice, said: “We are quite satisfied with the appearance of the material that the county council has now suggested.”

The flat paving in Mansfield is in place to warn of the junction of the A60 and Berry Hill Lane. In Southwell the paving would be raised.

The material used, called Imprint, resembles block paving and sits on top of a tar foundation. The setts in place in Southwell are embedded in sand and move when large vehicles drive over them.

Mrs Prentice said they had asked for samples of other colours as they felt red would be too obtrusive.

She said the design of the block paving could be changed to be more in keeping with that already in place in Southwell.

The town council’s transport group will discuss the design and make a recommendation to the full council later this month.

Mrs Prentice said they would insist that the new speed humps were installed as a complete unit instead of just replacing the impact side of the surface.

Southwell’s county councillor Mr Bruce Laughton said: “They need to be symmetrical otherwise they will look silly in a conservation area.

“We want a proper job done. We don’t want the county council to have to come back in two years to repair them.”

Mr Laughton said it was encouraging that the paving could withstand the heavy traffic on the A60, which was greater than that in Southwell town centre.

Those at the site meeting were met by the technical services manager from the county council’s highways department, Mr Peter Thom.

If a design is agreed, work could start in the spring as there is no money left in the highways department budget for this financial year.

Mr Laughton said: “I would sooner put up with the damaged ones for now and have a proper job done later.”